Franz uhlig



(r770 Model.)

P. UHLIG.

LIFT OR HOIST FOR PLACING SHIPS MASTS.

No. 477,477. Patented June 21, 1892.

UNTTED STATES PATENT EETEE.

FRANZ UHLIG, OF TQPKOWITZ, NEAR BODENBAOH, AUSTRIA'JIUN GARY.

LIFT OR HOIST FOR PLACING SHIPSMMASTS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 477,477, dated June21, 1892. Application filed February 24:, 1892. Serial No. 422,677. (Nomodel.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, FRANZ UHLIG, engineer, a citizen of Austriadlungary,residing at Topkowitz, near Bodenbach, in the Kingdom of Bohemia,Austria-I-Iungary, have invented certain new and usefullmproveinents inLifts or Hoists for Placing Ships Masts and I do hereby declare thefollowing to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention,such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains tomake and use the same.

My invention relates to mechanical lifts or hoisting apparatus, thepurpose thereof being the provision of a mechanism whereby the masts ofa ship or any other body having considerable weight and length may beeasily raised into vertical position, or approximately so, and thenlowered until it rests in a seat or support provided for it.

It is a further purpose of my invention to combine with a mechanicallift means whereby the larger end of the mast, after it is raised, shallbe arrested by an adjustable lever carrying an anti-friction pulleywhich abuts against the base of the mast and rolling thereon as thelatter is lowered, being part of the mechanism.

It is my purpose, in short, to provide a simple easily-operatedapparatus capable of being used without the employment of a force ofmen, the driving-shaft being revolved usually and with average loads bya single person.

The invention consists in the several novel featuresof construction andnew combinations of parts hereinafter fullydescribed, and thenparticularly pointed out in the claims annexed hereto.

To enable others skilledin the art to which my said invention appertainsto understand and to make, construct, and use the same, I will nowproceed to describe the same in cletail, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, in Wl1lCl1 Figure 1 is an elevation of a liftorganized in accordance with my invention, showing the lower portion ofthe mastin upright position.

- Fig. 2 is a central vertical section of the same parts. Fig. 3 is aside elevation illustrating the mode of operation of said machine. Fig.4 is a vertical section of part of the meehanism shown in Fig. 4 toillustrate the action of The reference numeral 1 in said drawingsindicates the uprights or posts of the lift, said posts being two innumber and arranged in vertical parallelism, their lower ends beingrigidly connected with the floor or with a base-plate 2 of any preferredform. Upon one side of the parallel posts 1, at. or near the base, arebrackets 3, in which are formed bearings for a horizontal shaft 4, uponwhich are mounted drums 5, lying in juxtaposition to the inner oradjacent faces of the posts, as

shown in Fig. 1. These drums are adapted to receive chains 6, whichwindthereon when the drums are revolved in the proper direction. Thisrevolution is effected by means of a worm 7 upon a vertical shaft .8,the lower end of which is stepped in a bracket 9, so that the worm Z maymesh with a worm-gear 10, fast upon the shaft l. The upper end of theshaft 8 is supported by a bracket-bearing 12 at or near the topof one ofthe posts. 'Upon the end of said shaft 8 which projects above thebracket bearing is mounted a bevel-gear 13, with which meshes a similargear 14, carried by a horizontal drivingshaft 15, mounted upon astud-bearing supported by a bracket 16 at or near the topof one of theposts. The shaft of this gear 14 is provided with a suitable crank 17.

Upon the upper ends of the posts 1 are mounted strong bearings 18, inwhich is ar ranged a fulcrum-shaft 19, parallel with the drum-shaft 1.'Upon this shaft, close to the bearings 18, are rigidly mountedguard-plates 20 to prevent lateral displacement of the mast.

Upon the central portion of the drum-shaft at, between the chain-drums,is loosely mounted a lever-arm 21, having the form of a bellcrank andprovided at its end with a fork 22, in which is journaled a roll 23.From the hub of this arm projects the lever 24, and upon its endportion, lying farthest from the shaft 4, is mounted a considerableweight 25, adj ustable on said lever. The lever-arm is normally held inthe position shown in Figs. 3 and 4: in which the roll 23 is somewhatraised above the base-plate or floor and lies, inpartgbe tween the twoposts 1.

In operating the lift the lower part of the mast is raised sufficientlyto enable it to rest upon the fulcrum-shaft 19 its lower end protheweighted stop-lever.

jecting beyond said shaft a distance nearly equal to the length of theposts 1, in order that its lower extremity shall pass, when the mast isupright, below the axis of the roll 23. The chains 6 are attached to asuitable clamp connected to the foot of the mast, and by operating theshaft 15 by means of the crank 17 revolution is thus communicated to thevertical shaft 8, the worm thereon giving revolution to the chain-drums5. The -mast being brought in this manner into vertical position, ornearly so, its base is brought against the roll 23, the yieldingmovement thereof raising the lever 24 to the position shown in Fig. 2.The gravity of the weight 25, however, restores the lever 24 andlever-arm 21 to the position shown in Fig. t. By this means the mast isheld in the position it is to have when placed in its seat in thevessel, the rake of the mast being determined by the angularity of thelever-arm 21. This is capable of variation by either substituting adifferent arm of greater or less angularity. By constructing the fork 22upon the end of the lever-arm 21 of suitable length I may accomplish thesame result by substituting a roll of greater or less diameter for theroll 23. \Vhen the mast is raised to the position shown in Fig. 4:, itcan be lowered, still preserving said position by simply reversing therevolution of the chaindrums 8. I have shown these chain-drums asseparate elements; but it is evident that a single drum is the fullmechanical equivalent thereof.

The lower part of the mast, which is, like the remaining portion, ofgradually-increasing diameter, is trimmed off upon two opposite sides toform two substantially parallel flat faces, beginning at a point at or alittle beneath the fulcrum 19 and extending to the lower end or heelofthe mast. These fiat substantially parallel faces are indicated in Figs.2, 3, and 4 by lines diverging at a small angle from a point aboutcoincident with the lower edges of the guard-plates 20. These lines markthe boundaries of the flat faces referred to.

In hauling the mast from the position shown in Fig. 3 to that seen inFig. 4 or in Fig. 2 it is evident that at someintermediate point thegravity of the mast will tend to drop its heel upon the deck unless somesupport is provided. This support may be of any simple kind, and theguard-plates 20 may be utilized for such purpose.

Then the mast is in position for lowering, as in Fig. 4,whereit is shownas firmly locked between the anti-friction roll23 and the clamp to whichthe chains 6 6 are attached, it is very slightly inclined from thevertical and its friction upon the fulcrum 19, after thesupportingfastening is cast off, is very small. Moreover, the forceexerted upon the mast by the gravity of the part above the fulcrum 19 isacting at a considerable disadvantage by reason of the very small angleat which it acts. The gravity of the mast as a whole is much in excessof the force tending to turn the same upon the fulcrum l9 and restore itto the position shown in Fig. 3, or approximately so. By maintaining asuitable tension upon the chains 6 6 at the same time that they are sofar slackened as to let the mast drop slowly it will descend in properposition to its seat.

What I claim is 1. A lift or hoisting apparatus for raising and loweringships masts, comprising chaindrums, a worm-shaft driving the drum-shaft,a fulcrum-shaft arranged in bearings on or near the top of uprightssupporting the mechanism, and means for holding the raised mast in aninclined position while it is being low 'ered, substantially asdescribed.

2. In a lift or hoist for raising and lowering ships masts, thecombination, with a drumshaft and chain-drums mounted on posts oruprights, of a worm on a vertical shaft and meshing with a worm-gear onthe dru m-shaf t, a fulcrum-shaft at or near the tops of the posts,

and a counterbalanced lever-arm having a .roll journaled on its end andadapted to engage and hold the raised mast in a slightlyinelinedposition while it is being lowered,

substantially as described.

3. In a lift or hoist for raising and lowering ships masts, thecombination, with chaindrums mounted on a shaft having support uponuprights or posts, of a vertical shaft geared with the drum-shaft, adriving-shaft,

a fulcrum-shaft for the mast arranged at or near the tops of the posts,a lever-arm loosely mounted on the drum-shaft and having a rolljournaled on its end and adapted to enter between the posts, and a leverrigid upon the hub of the lever-arm and having an adjustable weight,substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FRANZ UHLIG. Witnesses:

CARL FR. REICHELT, HERNANDO DE So'ro.

